Automatic boiler-feeding device.



` no. 696,226. Patented Mar. 25, |902.

N. CURTIS. AUTOMATIC BUILER FEEDINAGDEVICE,

(Application led J-uly 2, 1900.1 (No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Shen L Illu.

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No. 696,226. Patented Mar. 25, |902.

K. CURTIS.

AUTOMATIG BMLER FEEDING DEVICE.

v2Asheets-s:um 2.'

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT EEIcE.

NELSON CURTIS, OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC BOlLER-FEEDING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 696,226, dated March 25, 1902. Application filed .Tuly 2,1900. Serial llo/22,376. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NELSON CURTIS, of Boston,in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Boiler- Feeding Devices, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to improvements in automatic boiler-feeding devices whereby a constant level of the water in the boiler lis automatically maintained.

The invention consists in the employment of a movable septum, preferably a liexible diaphragm, and a valve in a water-supply or controlling a water-supply controlled by the movements of said septum, the movements of the septum being controlled by the variations or differences in the pressures of two columns of water acting upon opposite sides of said septum. One of said columns of water is preferably substantially of an unvarying pressure and acts upon said septum to hold it so that it will so control the watersupply as to cause water to be fed through the supply-pipe and to the boiler in a quantity in excess of that converted into steam and carried off through the safety-valve or the discharge-'pipe from the boiler and used by the engine or other places where steam is supplied from the boiler. The othercolumn of water, which acts upon `the septum, varies in amount from nothing to one equal to the irst column, and this second 'column will cause the temporary shutting off of the supply of water to the boiler after said second column reaches a certain height and creates sufcient pressure on ,the septum in opposition to the first column to close the valve in the .water-supply pipe, substantially as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The invention isl carried out substantially as illustrated onthe accompanying drawings, forming an essential part of the specification, and whereon- Figure l represents a plan view of the preferred arrangement of my improved device, showing a' portion of the shell of a steamboiler in section. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section on the line A B in Fig. l. Figs. 3 and 4 represent different arrangements of parts of the device from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

Referring to the arrangement of my device as shown in Figs. l and 2, to the shell of the boiler l, of any desired construction, are attached the pipes 2 and 3. The pipe 2 is in open communication with the interior of the boiler somewhat above the level of the water desired to be maintained therein, andthe pipe 3 is in open communication with the interior of the boiler somewhat below-the level of the water desired to be maintained therein. The pipes 2 and 3 form means whereby my improved device is connected to the boiler and through which steam and water are con veyed to said device Vin order to cause its proper operation. My improved device, as illustrated in Said Figs. l and 2, consists of arverticallyfarranged pipe 4, connected at'its upper end to the pipe 2 and near its lower end to the pipe 3. The pipe 4, of any desired length, is in open communication at its lower end with a chamber 5, located within the upper portion of a casing 6, made in two parts, the lower portion of said casing forming a second chamber 7, which is separated from the chamber 5 by means of a movable septum, shown on the drawings as consisting of a flexible diaphragm 8, firmly clamped at its edge between the two partsof the casing.y Firmly secured to the upper side of the diaphragm 8 is a tube 9, which extends upward within the pipe 4 and has its upper open end substantially on a level with the desired level of the water to be maintained in -the boiler. The lower end of the tube 9 is in open communication with the chamber 7 by means of the passage lO or in any other equivalent manner.

From the above description it will be seen that water from the boiler will be admitted to the pipe 4 through the pipe 3 and will rise in the pipe 4 to a level with the top of the water in the boiler; also, that steam from the boiler will be admitted to the pipe 4 through the pipe 2 and will press upon the upper surface of the diaphragm through the column of water contained within the pipe 4 and the water within the chamber 5 with a pressure substantially equal to the boiler-pressure. Steam from the boiler will also press against the under surface of the diaphragm with the IOO same pressure either through a column of Water contained in the tube 9, as hereinafter described, or directly by being conveyed through the tube 9 and passage 10 to the chamber 7. As the steam-pressure upon the wat-er in the pipe 4 upon the upper surface of the diaphragm is equal to the steam-pressure on the under side of the diaphragm, it will be seen that said steam-pressures neutralize each other and do not effect the diaphragm to move itin either direction; but as the upper surface of the diaphragm is at all times subjected to the additional and substantially uniform pressure due to the pressure of the water in the chamber 5 and pipe 4, which it sustains, said diaphragm is deflected from its normal position by this additional pressure of the water. If the water in the pipe 4, which is normally level with the top of the tube 9 therein, should rise from any cause so as to overflow and enter the tube 9, it would be conveyed through said tube and passage 10 to the chamber 7 and after filling said chamber would gradually rise in the tube 9, causing an additional pressure on the under side of the diaphragm over that of the steam-pressure thereon due to the weight of this column of water, which additional pressure would gradually increase as the tube 9 is lilled, and when said tube becomes full would equal the additional water-pressure on the upper side of the diaphragm, and the water-pressure on both sides of the diaphragm would then neutralize each other, leaving the diaphragm at its normal shape uninlueneed by uneven pressures.

Within a pipe 11, which may lead either from a supply of water to the feed-pump of the boiler or from a supply of motive fluid to operate said feed-pump, is a valve 12, which is connected to the under side of the diaphragm 8 by the valvestem 13, and said valve is controlled bythe movements of said diaphragm. A small passage 14 connects the chamber 7 with the water-supply pipe between the valve controlling said pipe and the feed-pump, or said passage lnay connect said chamber with'a suitable waste. The passage 14 forms a contracted waste-passage for the chamber 7 and the tube`9, through which the water from said parts may slowly discharge after it has accomplished the object for which it was admitted to said parts. The valve 12 is so arranged that a downward movement of the diaphragm will cause the opening of the valve and cause the operation of the feedpump or the supply of water through the supply-pipe to the feed-pump, and said valve is arranged so that it will remain slightly open whilethe feeding device is in operation, with the diaphragm slightly depressed from its normal shape, due to the water pressing on the upper side thereof being iu excess of the water pressing on its under surface, but said valve will be closed if the diaphragm assumes its normal shape, free from unequal pressures thereon. It will be understood that the weight of the column of Water within the pipe 4 and sustained by the upper surface of the diaphragm when not opposed by a water-pressure on the under surface of the diaphragm is such as to depress the diaphragm sufficiently to operate the valve 12 and cause a supply of water to the boiler in excess of that which can possibly be used by the boiler, and that the quantity of water thus fed Ais automatically adjusted by my device to equal that used by the boiler, as the water will overiiow into the tube 9 and gradually filling said tube will create a counteracting pressure on the under surface of the diaphragm tending to close the valve and reduce the supply to the boiler. Therefore the water in the boiler will be maintained at the desired level. If there is no steam being discharged from the boiler, and therefore no Water being used to make steam, the column of water in the pipe 4 will remain at a level with the water in the boiler, but the column of water within the tube 9 will gradually pass away through the passage ,14, and removing the pressure from the under side of the dia# phragm caused by this column of water will allow the pressure on the upper side of the diaphragm to'open the valve 12 to its fullest extent. y

From the above description of my device it will be seen that the operating power used to control the supply of Water to the boiler is the differences in the weights or pressures of the two columns of water acting on the opposite sides of the movable septum or diaphragm, one of which columns is of substantially a constant Weight or pressure, while the other is variable from nothing to that equal to the first column, and it will be understood that the range of variations, and consequently the amount of available power for this purpose, will be increased by increasing the weight or pressure of the constant column of water which is contained within tho pipe4 and acts on the upper surface of the diaphragm. This increase may be obtained by extending the pipe 4 downward the desired distance below the level of the Water in the boiler. It will also be seen that the position of the top of the tube 9 determines the level of the water in the boiler irrespective of the position of the movable septum.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have illustrated what I consider the preferred arrangement of my dcvice, as the same can then be sold intact and ready to be attached to any boiler, but my device is capable of being arranged in other ways and accomplish the desired result. I have shown two arrangements of the device in Figs. 3 and 4.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the casing 6 as being outside the shell of the boiler, the pipes 2 and 4 as being dispensed with, and the pipe 3 as connected with the upper half of the casing and forming an open communication between the interior of the boiler and the chamber 5, the water in the boiler constituting in part the column of water which presses IOO IIO

against the upper surface of the diaphragm. The tube 9 is disconnectedffrom the diaphragm, connected to the lower part of the casing 6, carried into the boiler, and extended within the boiler, so that its upper open end is at the desired level to be maintained within theboiler. The operation of this arrangement of. the device is thesame as that described in relation to Figs. l and 2 and needs per end connected to the pipe 4 at a level with the desired level of the water tobe maintained in the boiler. v

It will be understood that the operation of the device as illustrated in Fig. 4 is the same as that described inrelation to the other fig- Y where steam is supplied to operate enginesures of the drawings and needs no further description.

Although I have shown different arrange ments of my device on the drawings, I wish it to be understood that there 'are still other arrangements of the device withinthe scope of mechanical skill which might b'e employed without departing from the spirit of myinvention, and that I do not confine myself to the precise arrangements shown.

Thus far I have described my device as be-v ing used to maintain a desired level ofthe water in a boiler; but it is equally applicable to any other receptacle in which a desired level is to be maintained.

This my improved boiler-feed is very simple in construction, effective in operation, is not liable to get out of order, there being no finely-adj usted parts to become disarranged. The device .is operated without the use of floats and does not depend upon the expansion or contraction of its parts forits proper operation. It is especially applicable to boilers-used in automobiles or iny other places or other devices which arektobe controlled or` operated by persons with rather' limited experience and knowledge of the requirements in running machines of such descrip'- tion.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim- 1. In an automaticfeeding device for boilers or other receptacles in which i't is desired to maintain a given level of the water contained therein, a movable septum,.two columns of water actingI in opposition yto each other to move said septum by variations in the relative weights of said columns, the water in one of said columns being substantially,v constant at a level with and controlled by the water in the boiler or other receptacle, and

the water in the othercolumn being variable according tothe amount ofwater being used by the boiler or other receptacle, a contracted waste-passage for the latter column of water, a water-supply, and a valve controlling said supply and controlled by the movements of said septum, for thepurposeset forth.-

' 2.- In an automatic feeding devicefor boilers orother receptacles in which it is desired to Amaintain a given level of the water containedl therein, a casing having its interior in open communication with the interior of the boiler orA other receptacle above and below vthe desired level ofthe Water to be maintained therein, a movable septum dividing said casing into two chambers, means to establish free admission of the water'in the boiler to one of said chambers tocreate a column ofywater'in said chamber at a level with the water inthe boiler or other receptacle and to act on one side of 'said septum, means'to prevent the admission of water from the boiler or other receptacle to the other of said chambers, to act on said septum in'opposition to the column of water in the rst named chamber, except when'the water in the Vboiler or other recepl tacle'exceeds thel desired level of water tobel maintainedtherein, a contractedwaste-passage for the latter chamber, a water-supply, and a valve controlling said supply controlled by the movements of saidseptum, for the purpose set forth.

3. In an automatic `feedingdevice for boil-A ers'or other receptacles inwhich it is desired' tomaintain a given llevel of the water con# ftained therein, a' casing, a movables'eptum dividing said casinginto an upper and. lower chamber, apipe inopen communication with said `upper chamber, means to connect said pipewith the boiler or other receptacle above and below the desired level of thewater 'toibe maintained therein and form free communi-y j cation between said parts, a tube carried by '-said septum in open communication with the Vlowe'r'charnber in said casing extending up; ward from said septum to the'desired level of the water to be maintained within the boiler or other receptacle,a contracted waste-pas# :sage for the lower chamber, a water-supply, and a valve Vconnected to said septum con,` trolling said suppl y, for the purpose set forth;

4. In an automatic feeding device for'boilers orvother receptacles whereit is desired to' :maintain a given level of the water contained g therein, a casing having its interiorliniopen` i' communication with the interior f the boiler 1 or other receptacle above and below the delsired level of the water. to vbeY maintainedtherein, a movable septumdividing said casing into two chambers, means to establish free admission of the water in the' b 'oilei to one of vsaid chambers tocreate 4a column otv :water in said chamber at a level with the wafter in the boiler or other receptacle and to act `on one side of said septum, means to prevent vthe admission of Water from the boiler or other IOO Irc i izo .gli 696,226

receptacle to the other of said chambers, to supply controlled by the movements of said io` aet on said septum in opposition to the oolseptum, for the purpose set forth.

umn of Water in the lirst-narned chamber, ex- In testimony whereof I have axed my sigeept when the Water in the boiler or other renature in presence of two Witnesses. ceptacle exceeds the desired level of water to NELSON CURTIS be maintained therein, a Contracted Wastepassage from the second-named chamber to Witnesses:

gradually discharge the Water therefrom, a HENRY CIIADBOURN, Water-supply, and a valve Controlling said BENJ. J. BROOKS. 

